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United States Patent |
6,194,853
|
Tual
,   et al.
|
February 27, 2001
|
Installation for operating at least one seat module
Abstract
The invention relates to an installation for operating seat modules (12)
equipped with an assembly of actuators (30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 40, 42, 44)
each intended for adjusting a seat element (22, 24, 26, 28). It comprises
a control unit (16) suited to each seat module (12). This control unit
(16) comprises means (62) for the acquisition of variables representing
the functioning state of the seat module.
A central unit (18) for the management of the seat modules (12) is
connected to the control unit (16). It comprises means (96) for the
transmission of information toward the control units (16).
Each control unit (16) comprises means (66) for the transmission of
variables representing the functioning state of the associated seat module
toward the central management unit (18).
Use in aircraft seats.
Inventors:
|
Tual; Frederic (Saint-Nazaire, FR);
Renault; Guy (Epinay/Seine, FR);
Marin-Martinod; Thierry (Nesles la Vallee, FR)
|
Assignee:
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Labinal (Montigny le Bretonneux, FR)
|
Appl. No.:
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353092 |
Filed:
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July 15, 1999 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
Current U.S. Class: |
318/266; 244/118.6; 318/466 |
Intern'l Class: |
B64C 001/22 |
Field of Search: |
318/51,53,54,59,264,265,266,280,283,286,466,467,468,625,626
244/118.5,118.6
|
References Cited
U.S. Patent Documents
4622551 | Nov., 1986 | Kupersmith et al. | 340/825.
|
4667191 | May., 1987 | Comroe et al. | 340/825.
|
4706194 | Nov., 1987 | Webb et al. | 364/424.
|
5019759 | May., 1991 | Takemura et al.
| |
5097185 | Mar., 1992 | Ogasawara.
| |
5406270 | Apr., 1995 | Van Lente | 340/825.
|
Foreign Patent Documents |
195 06 764 | Aug., 1995 | DE.
| |
0 761 494 | Mar., 1997 | EP.
| |
2 748 240 | Nov., 1997 | FR.
| |
Other References
JP Absts. of Japan, European Patent Office; Pub No. 05112165. May 7, 1993;
Inventor: Nishiyama, K.; Title: Control Device For Seat Of Vehicle.
|
Primary Examiner: Ro; Bentsu
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Larson & Taylor, PLC
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An installation for operating a plurality of seat modules each equipped
with an assembly of actuators each intended for adjusting an element of
the associated seat module, said installation comprising:
a plurality of control units, each individually associated with one of said
seat modules, for controlling the actuators of the associated seat module
from means for the input of commands, said control units each comprising
means for the acquisition of variables which represent the functioning
state of the associated seat module and which are measured by sensors
mounted on said associated seat module; and
a common central management unit for the management of the seat modules,
which is connected to each control unit, said common central management
unit comprising information transmission means for transmitting
information to each control unit,
each control unit comprising transmission means for transmitting at least
some of the variables representing the functioning state of the associated
seat module to the common central management unit, and said common central
management unit comprising means for processing the transmitted variables.
2. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the common central
management unit comprises means for preparing a request for demanding
variables representing the functioning state of at least one of the seat
modules, and wherein the information transmission means sends said request
to each associated control unit, and wherein the transmission means of
each control unit sends the representative variables demanded to the
common central management unit.
3. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the common central
management unit comprises means for the input of commands for controlling
the actuators of at least one seat module, and wherein the information
transmission means sends the commands to the control unit associated with
each seat module to be controlled, each control unit executing the
commands received from the common central management unit.
4. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the common central
management unit comprises means for displaying said representative
variables received from each control unit.
5. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the common central
management unit is removable.
6. An installation according to claim 1, further comprising an external bus
to which the common central management unit and each control unit are
connected.
7. An installation according to claim 1, wherein each control unit
comprises processing and storing means for processing and storing
variables representing the functioning state of the associated seat
module, and the transmission means of each control unit sends the
representative variables processed and stored by said processing and
storing means to the common central management unit.
8. An installation according to claim 1, wherein each control unit
comprises both means for evaluating the intensity of control signals
supplied to each actuator and means for controlling each actuator in the
opposite direction when the intensity of said control signals supplied to
the actuator departs from a predefined range, each control unit comprising
means for interrupting the oppositely directed control of the actuator
after conditions comprising one of an oppositely directed displacement of
the actuator greater than a predefined displacement and the passage of a
predefined period of time, and the first of the conditions which is
satisfied terminating the control of the actuator in the opposite
direction.
Description
The present invention relates to a device for controlling at least one seat
module equipped with an assembly of actuators each intended for adjusting
a seat element, of the type comprising:
a control unit, suited to the or to each module, for controlling the
actuators of the associated seat module from the means for the input of
commands, said control unit comprising means for acquiring variables which
represent the functioning state of the seat module and which are measured
by sensors mounted on said seat module;
a central unit for the management of the seat modules, which is connected
to the or to each control unit, said central management unit comprising
means for the transmission of information toward the or each control unit.
The term"seat module" designates a single seat or an assembly of
interconnected seats which are capable of receiving two, three or four
persons.
Such an operating installation is described, for example, in the document
WO-97/42050, where it is applied to aircraft seats.
In this document, each seat module is associated with its own control unit.
The latter comprises means for the input or logging of commands, such as a
keyboard. The logging of a command causes the displacement of one of the
seat elements.
In the installation described in the abovementioned document, the various
control units of the same aircraft are connected to one another by means
of an external bus, in order to make it possible to control a plurality of
seats from the same command input means.
The command input means comprise, furthermore, a memory card reader. The
card as described contains parametrising information corresponding, for
example, to the end positions of each actuator.
The control units are configured on the basis of parametrising information
stored in the memory card, said information being stored in the control
units.
Thus, by means of such an installation, it is possible, without any direct
manual action on the actuators, to define the end positions of the latter
and therefore the permissible displacement travel of the actuators.
In a particular embodiment of the installation, the actuators are each
equipped with a sensor for readings of a variable representing its
functioning state and therefore the functioning of the associated seat
module. These sensors are formed, for example, by potentiometers, the two
moveable parts of which are secured to two associated moveable parts of
each actuator.
The variables measured by each sensor are used by the control unit suited
to the seat module, in order to ensure an open-loop control of the
actuator associated with the sensor.
The installation described in the abovementioned document makes it possible
to dispense with any mechanical action on the seat module in order to
define predetermined functioning ranges for each actuator. In fact, these
ranges are defined in the control unit by means of the storage of the end
positions of each actuator.
However, the production tolerances in the seats and, in particular, the
production tolerances in the actuators integrated in these cause
appreciable offsets in the actual positions of the seat elements, even
though the commands applied to the corresponding actuators are identical
and ought to have driven the seat elements into similar positions.
Difficulties in appropriately configuring each of the seats arise as a
result.
In particular, it is difficult to align the backs of the adjacent seats,
since an aligned position of the seat backs often corresponds to different
positions of the actuators associated with the backs.
The object of the invention is to provide an operating installation making
it possible to configure and control the seat modules of an aircraft in a
simple way and, in particular, making it possible to compensate the
production tolerances in the seat modules and in the actuators which they
comprise.
For this purpose, the subject of the invention is an installation for
operating at least one seat module equipped with an assembly of actuators
each intended for adjusting an element of the seat module, of the
abovementioned type, characterized in that the or each control unit
comprises means for the transmission of at least some of the variables
representing the functioning state of the associated seat module toward
the central management unit, and in that said central management unit
comprises means for processing said transmitted variables.
According to particular embodiments, the operating installation comprises
one or more of the following characteristics:
the central management unit comprises means for preparing a request for
demanding variables representing the functioning state of at least one of
the seat modules, the information transmission means being designed to
send this request toward the or each associated control unit, and the
transmission means of the or each control unit are designed to send the
representative variables demanded toward the central management unit,
the central management unit comprises means for the input of commands for
controlling the actuators of at least one seat module, and the information
transmission means are designed to send the commands toward the control
unit associated with the or with each seat module to be controlled, the or
each control unit executing the commands received from the central
management unit,
the central management unit comprises means for displaying said
representative variables received from the or each control unit,
the central management unit is removable,
it comprises an external bus, to which the central management unit and the
or each control unit are connected,
the or each control unit comprises means for the processing and storage of
variables representing the functioning state of the associated seat
module, and the transmission means of the or each control unit are
designed to send the processed and stored representative variables toward
the central management unit,
the or each control unit comprises, on the one hand, means for evaluating
the intensity supplied to each actuator and, on the other hand, means for
controlling the or each actuator in the opposite direction when the
intensity supplied to the actuator departs from a predefined range, and
the or each control unit comprises means for interrupting the oppositely
directed control of the actuator after an oppositely directed displacement
of the actuator greater than a predefined displacement or after the
completion of a predefined period of time, the first of the conditions
which is satisfied terminating the oppositely directed control of the
actuator.
The invention will be understood better from a reading of the following
description given purely by way of example and made with reference to the
drawings in which:
FIG. 1 is a top view of the interior outfitting of an aircraft; and
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the operating installation according to
the invention, in which only two seats are illustrated.
The interior outfitting of the aircraft illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises
three rows 10A, 10B, 10C of seat modules 12 aligned one behind the other.
Each lateral seat module comprises two adjacent motorized seats 14A, 14B.
The seat modules of the central row 10B comprise four adjacent seats 15A,
15B, 15C, 15D.
The seats of the same module are carried by a common frame, by means of
which they are fastened to the floor of the aircraft. Electric actuators
equip each seat so as to ensure the motorized displacement of the various
moveable elements of the seat.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, each seat module 12 is associated with a control
unit 16. This control unit is designed to control the actuators of the
associated seat module.
The control units 16 of all the seat modules of the aircraft are connected
to a central management unit 18 by means of an external bus 20.
FIG. 2 illustrates two seats of two separate seat modules, for example two
adjacent seat modules of the two rows 10A and 10B.
Each seat comprises a sitting surface 22, a back 24, a legrest 26 and a
footrest 28. These various elements are displaceable relative to one
another and, furthermore, are mounted so as to be moveable relative to a
frame 29 of the seat module.
In order to displace the various moveable elements, each seat comprises an
actuator 30 for the displacement of the footrest, an actuator 32 for the
displacement of the legrest and an actuator 34 for inclining the back. It
comprises, furthermore, an actuator 36 for tilting the sitting surface. An
actuator 38 for displacing the lumbar support is integrated into the back
24. Moreover, three actuators 40, 42, 44 are installed in the upper part
of the back 24, in order to ensure the movement of a head restraint 45.
These actuators are designed respectively for adjusting the height of the
head restraint, for tilting it and for turning down lateral flaps of the
head restraint in order to hold the head.
Each actuator is equipped with a position sensor designed to supply a value
representing the instantaneous position of the moveable part of the
actuator relative to its fixed part. This sensor is, for example, a rotary
or straight potentiometer, depending on the type of actuator with which it
is associated.
In FIG. 2, each seat is associated with a control unit 16. In practise,
each control unit 16 is associated with a seat module comprising two or
four seats, not with a single seat, as illustrated.
The control units 16 are connected to an electric power feeder line which
is not illustrated.
Each control unit 16 comprises an information processing module 50, such as
a microcontroller, and storage means 52 intended for storing programs for
controlling the seat module and also data or variables necessary for the
functioning of the latter.
The various members of the control unit 16 are connected to one another by
means of an internal bus 54. Provided on this bus, for each seat of the
seat module, is an interface 56 for the connection of a control keyboard
58 installed on the armrest of the seat.
The control keyboard 58 of each seat comprises, for each actuator of the
seat, two control buttons making it possible to displace the associated
actuator in two opposite directions.
The control unit 16 comprises, furthermore, a power control interface 60,
to which each actuator of the associated seat module is connected
separately. The cables connecting the actuators to the interface 60 are
illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 2. In practise, these cables are
concealed in the lining of the seat module.
The power control interface 60 is designed to supply the electric energy
necessary for the functioning of each actuator for the purpose of
displacing the latter in one direction or the other. It therefore
comprises an output for each actuator. The feed of one of the actuators or
the other and its displacement are operated by the power control interface
under the control of the microcontroller 50, in particular as a function
of the commands logged from the keyboard 58.
Moreover, the control unit 16 comprises an information acquisition
interface 62. This interface comprises an information acquisition input
for each actuator. This input is connected to the potentiometric position
sensors associated with the actuators.
The information acquisition interface 62 is designed to acquire the
information from the sensor associated with each actuator in response to a
demand for information emanating from the microcontroller 50. Said
interface comprises, in particular, an analog/digital converter designed
to make the analog signal supplied by each sensor processable by the
microcontroller 50. Thus, the information acquisition interface supplies
the microcontroller 50 with a variable representing the position of the
associated actuator.
Furthermore, means 64 for the bidirectional transmission of information
between the control unit 16 and the central management unit 18 are
integrated into the control unit 16.
These information transmission means 64 comprise, on the one hand, means 66
for the transmission of information toward the central management unit 18
and, on the other hand, means 68 for the reception of information
transmitted by the central management unit 18.
The means 64 are connected to the external bus 20. The latter is of any
suitable type and conforms, for example, to the standard RS 485. For the
sake of clarity, the bus 20 is illustrated in the drawings as comprising
two filamentary supports 20A, 20B, each intended for transferring
information in one direction between the units 16 and 18. In practise,
this information is conveyed on the same support.
The central management unit 18 comprises an information processing module
80, such as a microcontroller, and a memory 82. The various members of the
central management unit are connected to one another by means of an
internal data transfer bus 84. An information display screen 86 and an
information collection keyboard 88 are connected to the bus 84 by means of
suitable interfaces designated by 90 and 92.
Furthermore, means 94 for the bidirectional transmission of information are
integrated into the central management unit 18 and are connected to the
internal bus 84. These transmission means 94 are connected to the external
bus 20 for the bidirectional transmission of information between the
control unit 16 and the central management unit 18.
For this purpose, the bidirectional transmission means 94 comprise
information transmission means 96 and information reception means 98.
A control program is stored in the memory 52 of each control unit 16. It is
designed to manage the functioning of the latter. It is capable, in
particular, of controlling each actuator as a function of commands
collected by the user from the keyboard 58.
Thus, when a command is received, the microcontroller 50 controls the power
control interface 60, so that the latter feeds an actuator as long as the
corresponding key of the keyboard 58 is kept depressed.
While the actuator is functioning, the microcontroller 50 checks the
satisfactory displacement of the actuator by means of the associated
sensor. The result of the measurement is acquired by the interface 62 and
communicated to the microcontroller 50. Thus, during the displacement of a
seat element under the action of an actuator, the latter is controlled in
open loop by the unit 16.
Moreover, the maximum permissible displacement range of each actuator is
stored in the memory 52. For this purpose, threshold values corresponding
to the permissible end positions of the actuator are stored in the control
unit 16.
During the displacement of an actuator, the microcontroller 50 periodically
checks that the value recorded by the sensor associated with the actuator
is within the permissible displacement range. If the value recorded by the
sensor reaches one of the thresholds, the feed of the actuator from the
power control interface 60 is interrupted.
The unit 16 comprises means integrated into the power control interface 60
and designed to evaluate the instantaneous intensity I applied to each
actuator and also its derivative with respect to the time dI/dt. The
values of the intensity I and of its derivative dI/dt are compared
continuously with predetermined maximum values.
If these maximum values are exceeded, thus representing a blockage of the
moveable element controlled by the actuator or a malfunction of the
latter, the execution of the command in progress is abandoned and the
actuator is controlled in the opposite direction until one of the two
following conditions is satisfied, namely the retraction of the actuator
by the amount of a predetermined value or the completion of a
predetermined period of time.
The implementation of the two alternative conditions ensures that one of
the conditions or the other is satisfied, thus avoiding an uninterrupted
retraction of the actuator. In fact, it is possible for the sole condition
relating to the extent of retraction never to be satisfied, particularly
if the position sensor is defective or if the actuator is in an end
position.
The program stored in the memory 82 and intended for managing the
functioning of the central unit 18 is designed to send information toward
the control unit 16 and to acquire information from this control unit 16.
In particular, the central management unit 18 makes it possible to log the
permissible displacement range of each actuator from the keyboard 88. The
thresholds thus defined are transmitted toward the control unit 16 of the
associated seat module by the transmission means 96. The thresholds are
then stored in the memory 52 in order to be used during the control of the
associated seat.
Moreover, the central management unit is designed to prepare commands for
all or some of the actuators and to send these commands to the control
units which operate the actuators accordingly.
Furthermore, the central management unit 18 is designed to address to the
control unit 16 requests corresponding to demands for information relating
to the value measured by one or other of the sensors associated with the
actuators.
When such a request is received, the control unit 16, by way of the
transmission means 66, returns the value measured by the corresponding
sensor.
This value, which is transmitted to the reception means 98 by the bus 20,
is then processed by the microprocessor 80. In particular, this value is
displayed on the screen 86, allowing it to be made available to a
technician or an air hostess.
Thus, it is possible, at any moment, to know the value representing the
position of any one of the actuators from the central management unit 18.
During the configuration of the seat modules, and particularly during the
storage of the permissible displacement ranges of the actuators, the
technician records, for two aligned adjacent seats, the value which is
given by each sensor of the two seats. On account of the production
tolerances in the seats, these values are generally close to one another,
but not identical, even though the two seats are in identical positions.
So that the limit positions of the two adjacent seats are identical, the
operator imposes an offset on the threshold values defining the
permissible displacement ranges associated with the actuators of each
seat.
Thus, the moveable elements of the two seats have identical actual
displacements, despite the values recorded by the various sensors.
Moreover, in order to determine the permissible displacement ranges, the
operator takes, from a central management unit 18, readings of values
representing the position of each actuator for various positions of the
seat.
For this purpose, he displaces the various seat elements by controlling the
seat from the keyboard 58. Then, for certain particular positions of the
seat, he determines the values representing the position of each actuator
by a direct readoff on the screen 86.
The values thus recorded are processed for the purpose of configuring the
other seats of the aircraft, the offsets attributable to the production
tolerances in the seats being taken into account.
The necessary compensations due to the production tolerances may be
calculated automatically by means of a setting program carried out in a
central management unit 18.
Moreover, the control unit 16 comprises a program designed to store in the
memory 52 a functioning history of each of the actuators of the associated
seat modules [sic]. In particular, this program is designed to determine
the cumulative functioning duration of each actuator, as well as the total
current consumption of the latter.
This information is communicated to the central management unit 18 at the
request of the latter. This information is then processed by the central
management unit 18, particularly in order to ensure preventive maintenance
of the seat modules.
The central management unit 18 may be mounted permanently in the aircraft,
for example in the pilot's cockpit, or else be removable, said unit being
connected to the seat modules only during phases of configuration or
maintenance of the latter.
Moreover, the external network 20 may be omitted. The central management
unit 18 is then connected successively to the control unit 16 of each seat
module with the aid of a suitable connector.
According to a first embodiment, the central management unit 18 comprises a
PC-type microcomputer, into which is loaded a suitable program allowing
bidirectional communication with the control modules 16.
Alternatively, the central management unit 18 is a pocket-size computer or
a portable module developed specifically for this use.
In the example described, the sensors are carried by the actuators
themselves. Alternatively, however, the sensors are arranged directly
between two moveable elements of the seat module.
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